Orange trainer Michael Plummer had plenty of reasons to celebrate after bagging three wins last week, but his biggest highlight was seeing apprentice hoop Katie Jenkinson steer two of those so soon after returning to the saddle.
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The 23-year-old had a nasty fall in a barrier trial back in April and there were fears initially she may never ride again, such was the extent of the damage to her hands, but she defied the odds and returned to the saddle just three months later.
That return came at Canberra last Friday and after riding Royal Abbey to sixth in her comeback ride, she piloted five-year-old Stately Boy ($4 favourite) to his first career win in the $20,000 John McGrath Ford Maiden Handicap (1750 metres).
It was a serious ride too, after jumping from barrier five Jenkinson sat back one-off the rails before being forced wide to find a run in the straight. She did that, storming to the lead and winning by just over a length.
“It was only her second race ride, her first meeting back, so it was great to see her ride a winner so soon,” Plummer said, explaining the victory was quite an emotional one for the young hoop too.
“Originally with the damage she’d done they did say 12 months to return or potentially not at all, and then the next time she saw the specialist they sort of said only a few more weeks.
“It was great to see her come good, it was a pretty incredible recovery but the big thing is she did the hard work.
“When you have three months off it can take the body a long time to get back to fitness but she was in the gym every day and kept herself in pretty good nick, I think that’s had a pretty big impact.
“I’ve got no doubt she’ll eventually go onto to bigger and better things and certainly outgrow my little stable here, I’m looking forward to seeing her keep going.
“[Stately Boy] hadn’t been given the best rides in his last few starts but in saying that he is pretty lazy too.
“He’s got all the ability but he just sort of cruises around, or he did until Friday. Katie rode him beautifully and woke him up a bit, he finally showed us what he’s capable of.”
Jenkinson backed that win up with another at Narromine on Sunday by steering Justice Honour, a $5 chance, to a one-and-a-half length win in the Timbrebongie House Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1600m).
Those two victories came a few days after Plummer’s first of the week, at Forbes.
After coming into the race after some late scratchings Lily’s Little Girl saluted at $26 odds in the International Gaming Technologies Class 1 Handicap (1400m), a victory Sky Racing expert Ben Walker actually tipped when the mare was sitting at 40 to one.
“[Lily’s Little Girl’s] owners are down at Hawkesbury and got in contact, they had a full stable so they sent her up for a change of scenery and she’s going really well, she won well that day and then at Narromine [on Sunday] everything went to plan too,” Plummer said.
“It was a pretty good week overall.”
Plummer is now looking to Bathurst on Friday afternoon where he’s nominated a number of potential runners including Lily’s Little Girl, she’s also nominated for Gilgandra’s Saturday meeting along with Will She Appeal and Got The Tickets.